Raiders' Walker beaten, robbed
LAS VEGAS - Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker remained hospitalized with a concussion and a battered face Tuesday, one day after he was beaten, robbed and left unconscious on a Las Vegas street after a night of partying.

Seminoles ousted by rival
OMAHA, Neb. - Jemile Weeks hit his second home run of the College World Series, closer Carlos Gutierrez worked out of a bases-loaded situation in the ninth inning and Miami fended off Florida State 7-5 in an elimination game Monday.

Roundup: Rice fried after stunning rally
OMAHA, Neb. - Blake Dean barely arrived at second base when his joyous LSU teammates mobbed him, starting the kind of celebration usually reserved for a national championship game.

Pitcher's future in jeopardy
If only Ryan Woolley had won a spot on Georgia's 25-man roster for the College World Series, then perhaps the sophomore pitcher wouldn't be in the predicament he currently faces in New England.

Home burglarized during day in Clarke
Burglars forced open sliding glass doors of a home on Highland Park Drive between 2 and 3 p.m. Monday and stole cash, prescription drugs and jewelry with a total value of $1,092, Athens-Clarke police said.

Hot-rodding draws police to hot bike
An officer stopped a motorcycle with a loud muffler that was doing wheelies on Hawthorne Extension on Sunday night and arrested the driver after learning that the 2005 Suzuki was reported stolen in Gwinnett County, Athens-Clarke police said.

Burglar found napping in eatery
An employee of a restaurant in western Clarke County opened up the business Sunday morning and found a burglar asleep at a table where he'd helped himself to buffalo wings and sodas, Athens-Clarke police said.

Cash, food stolen from deliveryman
A woman called in a pizza delivery Monday night, but when the delivery man arrived at the Massey Lane address, no one was home. Two robbers were waiting when he returned to his car, Athens-Clarke police said.

Test driver takes ATV from seller
A Sandy Springs Drive man on Monday let a boy test ride a 2002 Honda Rancher ATV he was selling, but the boy never came back with the red 4-wheeler, Athens-Clarke police said.

Thieves get in through garage
Burglars tampered with a garage door latch at a home on Crestwood Drive between 1 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday and stole a laptop computer, Xbox with games and controllers, a computer hard drive and duffle bag with a total value of $1,420, Athens-Clarke police said.

Young players moving up
There was plenty of praise for some of Georgia's young football talent this spring. Now those players are starting to make a dent on the Bulldogs' latest depth chart heading into August preseason practices.

Chris Young: Criticism of Obama is limited to 'side issues'
Do the people who criticize presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, want us to believe this is the most pressing issue facing voters this fall? That smacks of a sad desperation. Do they honestly believe Obama does not care for America? That smacks of false witness, proscribed in the Ten Commandments.

Mike Rock: Democrats squandering opportunity in Congress
Democrats feel President Bush and the Republicans stole the 2000 presidential election from Al Gore. As a result, the Democratic Congress has taken no action on any meaningful legislation that would help America, out of fear it will make President Bush's administration look good.

Jim Ponsoldt: What were motives of BOE vote on transfer?
The possible resignation of Clarke County interim schools Superintendent James Simms causes me great concern. I don't know Simms, but everything I've heard about him - from many of the school board members, in fact - has been very positive.

Healthy grilled fish can be chore to cook
Grilling gives fish great flavor without the need for lots of added cooking fat. But this healthy method for cooking seafood can be stressful if you don't get the technique right.

Tour a farm and see how it's done
If you're wondering what it's like behind the scenes growing all those veggies on a farm, Athens Locally Grown is providing the opportunity to find out. Farmer for a Day Tours kicked off in May, and each month takes participants to a different sustainable farm in our community.

Hax: Control isn't key to success
Dear Carolyn: I recently broke off a relationship with a girl I was head-over-heels for, and I find myself lonely and filled with regret even though I know it's for the best.

Say cheese(cake)
"It's easy to make both too much and not enough of Junior's," wrote Arthur Schwartz in his "opinionated history" titled "New York City Food." He was referring, of course, to the New York restaurant that became internationally famous for what Schwartz calls "one of New York City's purest pleasures" - cheesecake. In fact, some people might be surprised to learn that Junior's is, in fact, a full-service family restaurant in Brooklyn - serving hamburgers, pastrami, doughnuts, you name it - and not "just" a cheesecake bakery.

Lewis: For the love of scootering
For years, I envied friends who zipped around town on their scooters. But alas, scooters were an indulgence for folks with disposable incomes, and certainly out of the reach of someone of my limited financial means.

Please meet Stripe
Stripe is a 2-year-old, male, Labrador mix with brindle colored fur. Stripe came in as a stray and needs a little time to adjust and open up. Though he is a large dog at 76 pounds, he has a good temperament and when given the chance, loves to run and play.

Donation benefits Barrow CERT
Barrow County Community Emergency Response Team recently received a $250 donation from the Peoples Bank as part of their community outreach programs.

Goggin: Somewhere, the socks are hiding
After months of frustration, I walk to the trash and heave 11 solo socks into the plastic can liner. "That will teach them," I think to myself, only to be amazed within days another rebellious mate exits the dryer alone. Poking my head inside the warm metal tub, looking from side to side, up and down - empty. The sock phantom is at it again. Shaking my head, I lay one purple ball sock atop the dryer and continue folding.

Salisbury steak has shortcuts
I have what is probably a stupid question, but how do you make Salisbury steak? I buy a frozen TV dinner all the time, but it seems to me I could make it better on my own, even though I'm a widower and not much of a cook.

Farmers market on the move
This week's Athens Farmers Market again will be in Bishop Park at the basketball courts. As always, follow the signs once you enter Bishop Park, at 705 Sunset Drive in Athens, and you'll find the market. The picnic pavilion at the park is the usual spot and it will move back there June 28; the market runs from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Nov. 15.

With rise in gas prices, scooters are in high demand
Any day now, reCycle Scooters on Prince Avenue will close for awhile. Not for lack of business. Quite the opposite. Owner Leon Ward had just three bikes left in his shop on Friday. When the last one sells, he'll take a vacation for about a month.

Catching the reading bug in Oconee
Jessie Johnson from the Oconee Public Library visited Oconee County Elementary School to talk to the students about their Summer Reading Program, "Catch the Reading Bug."

Eat some road kill
It's not really road kill, but if Road Kill Cafe gives pause for a double-take, then consider this event to benefit the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. Together with Athens Leisure Services, the Food Bank hosts this all-you-can-eat cookout with meals prepared by chefs from Athens' favorite restaurants. All proceeds will go toward feeding the hungry in the Northeast Georgia area.

Indian artifacts continually surface on man's property
Almost 20 years ago, Steve Cowan looked for some rural farmland south of Colbert to build a home and unbeknownst to him, he picked out a place prehistoric Indians had chosen for a settlement nearly 10,000 years ago.

July 4th celebration just around the corner
Sara Wymbs, seated between her grandchildren and daughter, is getting ready for her community's July 4th celebration, which she organizes every year at her Madison County home.

Tuskegee Airmen to be subject of film
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The black airmen whose lives will be the basis of a George Lucas movie know the picture will highlight their record of successfully escorting thousands of U.S. bombers in World War II.

Replacing Russert a tough task
NEW YORK - Still reeling from Tim Russert's death, NBC News now must contemplate replacing the man who not only dominated the Sunday morning talk shows, but served as chief political commentator and ran the Washington bureau.

1978 B-52s concert kicks off AthFest's RockDocs
The year was 1978 and a young photographer, Kelly Mills, was a student at Georgia State University in Atlanta, working at the school's Closed Circuit TV station (CCTV). Buzz around the city was that the B-52s were coming to town.

Mississippi River breaks through levee
GULFPORT, Ill. - The rising Mississippi River broke through a levee Tuesday, forcing authorities to rescue about a half-dozen people by helicopter, boat and four-wheeler as floodwaters moved south into Illinois and Missouri.

Hamas says Gaza cease-fire reached
JERUSALEM - The Gaza Strip's ruling Hamas militant group said Tuesday it has reached a cease-fire with Israel meant to halt a cycle of deadly Palestinian rocket attacks that rained hundreds of rockets on Israel in the past year and Israeli reprisals that have killed hundreds of Palestinians.

Iraqi violence down; causes not resolved
BAGHDAD - Signs are emerging that Iraq has reached a turning point. Violence is down, armed extremists are in disarray, government confidence is rising and sectarian communities are gearing up for a battle at the polls rather than slaughter in the streets.

Probe finds abusive interrogation tactics
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks pursued abusive interrogation techniques once used by North Korea and Vietnam on American POWs despite stern warnings by several military lawyers that the methods were cruel and even illegal, according to a Senate investigation.

Two accused of tying son to tree in court
TARBORO, N.C. - A couple accused of killing their 13-year-old son by tying him to a tree for two nights for punishment appeared in a North Carolina courtroom Monday to face charges of murder and felony child abuse.

Car bomb kills 51 in Baghdad
BAGHDAD - A car bomb ripped through a busy commercial street in a Shiite area of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 51 people and wounding scores more in the deadliest blast in the capital in more than three months.

Economy struggling with rising prices, slow growth
WASHINGTON - Wholesale prices barreled ahead while housing and industrial activity faltered - a blend of high-costs and slow growth that ensures the Federal Reserve's most likely move on interest rates next week will be no move whatsoever.

Gay couples quickly marry in California
SAN FRANCISCO - Dozens of gay couples were married Monday after a historic ruling making California the second state to allow same-sex nuptials went into effect.

Summer job market tough for poor teens
NEW YORK - When Theodor Gervais was 14, he took a summer job selling cell phone covers in Brooklyn for $100 a month, sitting at a table outside a phone store in what he describes as "somewhat of a bad area." His cousin worked inside and, worried for Theodor's safety, checked on him all day.

Feds say some levees could fail
WASHINGTON - The federal government predicts that 27 levees could potentially overflow along the Mississippi River if the weather forecast is on the mark and a massive sandbagging effort fails to raise the level of the levees, according to a map obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

Obama answers GOP critics on terrorism
WASHINGTON - Democrat Barack Obama said he'll take no lectures from Republicans on who will keep America safer after GOP rival John McCain's campaign criticized him Tuesday for speaking approvingly of the successful prosecution of terrorists.

Man charged with taping assaults
ATLANTA - Federal authorities have arrested a North Georgia man accused of videotaping his sexual abuse of a 9-year-old girl over a four-year period and distributing photos and videos of the alleged incidents over the Internet.

Commerce resists egg farm in Banks
Commerce city officials are asking Banks County commissioners to stop the construction of a 1.5 million-bird egg farm in southern Banks County, citing fears that wastewater from the operation will pose a threat Commerce's 325-acre Grove River Reservoir.

Bridge named for vocal advocate
JEFFERSON - The South Apple Valley-Hoods Mill Road bridge across the North Oconee River will soon be named for one its most vocal proponents.

Walton EMC sets membership meeting
Walton Electric Membership Corp., a customer-owned electric company, is expecting more than 3,000 people at the EMC's 72nd annual members' meeting Saturday at the Walton County Agricultural Center near Monroe.

Panel seeks help in reservoir study
The Jackson County Water and Sewer Authority has asked county commissioners to front them the $294,000 necessary to complete comprehensive studies on three possible new reservoir sites for the county.

Second robbery suspect picked up
Elberton police arrested an armed robbery suspect who allegedly shot at two people in East Athens more than a year ago, Athens-Clarke police said.

Crews to install I-85 cable barrier
A contractor for the state Department of Transportation this week planned to start installing a cable barrier in the median of Interstate 85 from Georgia Highway 20 in eastern Gwinnett County to the Franklin County line.

AAA Georgia: Athens paying most for gas
ATLANTA - AAA reports the average price for regular gas across Georgia remained just above the $4 a gallon mark. The statewide average for regular was $4.01 a gallon. Nationally, regular costs $4.08 a gallon.

Brank withdraws from election board
One of the three Republican candidates for the Post 3 seat on the Oconee County Board of Education withdrew Monday after learning that running for a partisan election would place him in violation of the federal Hatch Act.

Governmental gas deal axed
JEFFERSON - Jackson County commissioners' plan to supply local municipal governments with bulk-rate gasoline will be too complicated and costly to be worthwhile, according to the county's attorney.

Senate candidates coming for forum
Four of the five Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate are expected to participate in a public forum at 7 p.m. Thursday in Masters Hall at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, 1197 S. Lumpkin St.

American Indians make plea for rain by dancing
ATLANTA - Some American Indians have taken a drum-pounding plea for rain to the hallowed political ground of Georgia's State Capitol, bidding for relief from the epic drought engulfing more than a third of the Southeast.

Call for test probe from House
ATLANTA - Democratic leaders in the state House of Representatives on Tuesday called for an independent investigation into problems with state tests that led a high number of Georgia students to fail.

A-C law trees new field plan
Athens-Clarke County's tree ordinance is holding up plans to build a new Little League field at an Athens park.

Interim super reaffirms resignation
Clarke County's interim school superintendent convened his normal bimonthly administrators meeting Monday morning, even though James Simms announced after a school board meeting Thursday that he would resign.

May unemployment claims increase
Initial unemployment claims in the Athens metro area of Clarke, Madison, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties rose 24.6 percent from May to April, up from 570 to 710, the state Department of Labor says.

King Cab 4x4 linked to hit and run
Investigators believe the truck that killed an Athens woman Saturday in a hit-and-run collision on Commerce Road may have been a red Nissan King Cab Hardbody 4x4 pickup, Athens-Clarke police said.

Simms rips school board
Clarke County's interim schools Superintendent James Simms officially filed his letter of resignation Tuesday, harshly criticizing the Board of Education and accusing some board members of meddling in administrative affairs.

Kids' cancer group sets dinner meeting
Camp Sunshine, a program for children with cancer, will hold a dinner and group meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support, 240 Talmadge Drive.

Methodists flock to Athens
About 3,000 Methodists will fill the Classic Center this week for one of Athens' largest conventions. The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church's annual conference kicks off today and runs through Friday.

Local dancer lands role in Atlanta
Blake English, a member of the dance and musical theater companies at Oconee Youth School of Performance, has landed his first professional role as a dancer in the upcoming Theater of the Stars production of "Oklahoma!" at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. The show runs June 24-29.

Garden Club honors Vaughn for years of leadership
Although the Watkinsville Garden Club was founded some three decades before Ellen Vaughn became a member, there's little question that her fingerprints are all over the organization's modern-day achievements.

Athens Academy graduates honored by faculty
Athens Academy Headmaster Bob Chambers, left, stands with recent 2008 graduates Ruby Lai and Jarrard Cole, who both were chosen as recipients of the Faculty Award for Excellence at the Honors Day ceremony May 23.

Local Pilots attend convention in Peachtree City
Pilot Club of Oconee County members from left, Novene Landers, Joy Elder, Rosa Hall and Marge Saar are shown at the three-day Pilot International Georgia District Convention held in April at the Wyndham Hotel in Peachtree City.

School board must meet with interim super
In a resignation letter submitted Tuesday to Clarke County Board of Education President Charles Worthy, interim schools Superintendent James Simms has given the Clarke County Board of Education a means of keeping him on the job. Simms' letter sets his resignation for July 18, but also includes an offer to sit down with the board to try to reach some understanding regarding their respective roles and responsibilities. If an agreement can be reached, Simms says he is willing to stay on the job, if the board wants him to do so.

Blog bits
Government reporter Blake Aued, on Athens-Clarke County's Fourth of July fireworks

How to contact us
Want to make your opinion known to the readers of the Banner-Herald editorial page? If so, letters to the editor may be: 1. Mailed to Athens Banner-Herald, P.O. Box 912, Athens, Ga. 30603; 2. Faxed to (706) 208-2246; 3. E-mailed to news@onlineathens.com.

Blog bits
Comment from sanderlinsghost on taxi service in Athens-Clarke County

Shipp: Reasons to fret about my great-granddaughter's future
Emily Grace came sweeping into our house in her little pink basket Sunday to inspect her great-grandparents for the first time. She must have given Reny and me high marks. She giggled and smiled during most of the visit. She only made a face and cried when bottle time ticked around.

Economy should prompt look at state budget
In retrospect, it might be a good thing that plans for tax reform in Georgia fell victim this year to bickering between the two chambers of the Georgia General Assembly.

Chipper raises average to .403, Braves beat Rockies
DENVER - Chipper Jones hit a two-run single in the fifth to break open a scoreless game, Jair Jurrjens pitched into the eighth inning without allowing a run and the Atlanta Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 7-1 on Monday night.

Smith: Mediate's lost quest an admirable feat
LA JOLLA, Calif. - Why couldn't an "old timer" catch a break? Why do the gods of fate let one man collect all the trophies? What's another championship to a man who has more than he can count?

Rangers spoil Teixeira return
ARLINGTON, Texas - Josh Hamilton put Texas ahead to stay with his American League-best 19th homer and Milton Bradley added a two-run single on which he got hurt in the Rangers' 7-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.

Germany, Croatia advance in Euro 2008
VIENNA, Austria - Germany captain Michael Ballack scored on a wicked second-half free kick Monday for a 1-0 win over Austria and a place in the quarterfinals of the European Championship.

Mediate's upset bid fizzles late
BODY:SAN DIEGO - Powerless to put away Tiger Woods and exhausted from this U.S. Open that would not end, Rocco Mediate plopped down above bunker on the 18th green, crisscrossed his legs and scribbled down his score.

Golf world's No. 1 survives Mediate's charge
SAN DIEGO - With a throbbing knee and a pounding heart, Tiger Woods made one last improbable escape Monday and won the U.S. Open in a 19-hole playoff over Rocco Mediate, his 14th career major and maybe the most amazing of them all.

Gordon tops racing money
Jeff Gordon continued to be the highest-paid driver in NASCAR last year, according to Forbes magazine, barely beating new Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Torn tendon sidelines Wang
NEW YORK - Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang is expected to be sidelined until at least September after injuring his foot running the bases, prompting club co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner to chastise the National League for playing without a designated hitter.

Celtics blow out Lakers for 17th crown
BOSTON - On a new parquet floor below aging championship banners, the Boston Celtics won their 17th NBA title and a first one - at last - for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen - their Big Three for a new generation.

New York Mets fire Randolph
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Once he decided to fire Willie Randolph, New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya caught a flight to the West Coast, went to the team hotel and waited to deliver the news in person.

Stepanek advances past ex-Georgia star
NOTTINGHAM, England - Top-seeded Radek Stepanek beat former University of Georgia star John Isner 6-3, 6-2 Tuesday to advance to the second round of the Wimbledon tune-up tournament at Nottingham.

UGA apprenticeships teach job skills through work
Bridgett Watkins could be using her summer vacation to hang out with friends at the mall or take a long rest before beginning ninth grade at Clarke Central High School. Instead, she's working a part-time job that could change her life's path. She's one of 20 teen participants in a University of Georgia Junior Youth Apprentice Program. Watkins is happy just to be learning how to work at a job. Getting paid is a bonus.